As I sit looking out my window at the driving rain and gloom, I cannot help but try to make sense of the events that have taken place in the last forty-eight hours. It is striking to see such senseless horror after experiencing such happiness and love... but I digress, you do not understand the full extent of what I am talking about.
Forty-eight hours ago I was sitting with my father and grandfather in a tea-house over looking the Corrib river. The wind gusts were reminiscent of hurricane blasts, and debris was flying through the air. Rain pelted the glass outside, threatening to break the glass with each little drop. It is was horrible day outside the little tea house. But, inside it was warm and bright, my father and I shared a hot pot of Storm Tea with our lunch, and my grandpa enjoyed a fresh scone with his Earl Grey. We smiled, and laughed, and looked on at the storm outside, safe and careless within our little heaven. When the wind died down and rain paused, we took our chances and ran back to the hotel where my family members were staying. There we continued our talks, rested and dried out before braving the weather once more! To a pub, called the King's Head we ran. There we warmed ours hands by the fire, and our spirits with a pint. For dinner we stopped into the cozy dining room of the Latin Quarter Bistro, filling up on such pleasures as seafood linguine, sea bass, and rib-eye steak. We were a happy trio, blessed to be safe and in good company, saddened only by the thought of parting the next day.
Twenty-four hours ago I was wishing my family had not left, but working hard to catch up with my work and studies My mind was kept busy with memories of that morning's breakfast with my family, and parting ways with bittersweet tears. Bittersweet because I was sad to be saying goodbye, but also happy to have seen them and to have had such a wonderful time. I sat in the comfort of my room, listening to music and writing essay outlines, looking forward to my trip to London in two weeks but also remembering that I had to get all of my work done before going! Yikes! It was so nerve wracking, only two weeks of school left and two essays to prepare! These were the things which occupied my mind, the issues I dealt with, the fright I felt.
About twelve hours ago, all changed. When I learned of the terrorist attacks on Paris I felt ashamed to have been worried about such silly things as essay deadlines. I was embarrassed to have cried over missing my family members who were safe and sound at home. I scolded myself for living in such a cocoon of happiness and love. But these reactions were just as wrong as the acts themselves. And so, as I sit, looking out my window at the rain and gloom that cast its shadow over all of Europe and the World, I feel that I must collect my scattered thoughts and feelings, reexamine my first reactions and make reason of it all. The world is a place of change, of opposites and of opportunity. We can choose to be happy in the face of sadness, we can choose to be strong when the easier choice is to be weak, and we can unite when others try to push us apart. Today we as individuals, we as nations and we as a global community have choices to make. Do we sit and look at the driving rain and gloom outside and feel sad, separated and scared? Or do we look at tomorrow's forecast and feel hopeful, united by love and brave in our connection?
Forty-eight hours ago I was sitting with my father and grandfather in a tea-house over looking the Corrib river. The wind gusts were reminiscent of hurricane blasts, and debris was flying through the air. Rain pelted the glass outside, threatening to break the glass with each little drop. It is was horrible day outside the little tea house. But, inside it was warm and bright, my father and I shared a hot pot of Storm Tea with our lunch, and my grandpa enjoyed a fresh scone with his Earl Grey. We smiled, and laughed, and looked on at the storm outside, safe and careless within our little heaven. When the wind died down and rain paused, we took our chances and ran back to the hotel where my family members were staying. There we continued our talks, rested and dried out before braving the weather once more! To a pub, called the King's Head we ran. There we warmed ours hands by the fire, and our spirits with a pint. For dinner we stopped into the cozy dining room of the Latin Quarter Bistro, filling up on such pleasures as seafood linguine, sea bass, and rib-eye steak. We were a happy trio, blessed to be safe and in good company, saddened only by the thought of parting the next day.
Twenty-four hours ago I was wishing my family had not left, but working hard to catch up with my work and studies My mind was kept busy with memories of that morning's breakfast with my family, and parting ways with bittersweet tears. Bittersweet because I was sad to be saying goodbye, but also happy to have seen them and to have had such a wonderful time. I sat in the comfort of my room, listening to music and writing essay outlines, looking forward to my trip to London in two weeks but also remembering that I had to get all of my work done before going! Yikes! It was so nerve wracking, only two weeks of school left and two essays to prepare! These were the things which occupied my mind, the issues I dealt with, the fright I felt.
About twelve hours ago, all changed. When I learned of the terrorist attacks on Paris I felt ashamed to have been worried about such silly things as essay deadlines. I was embarrassed to have cried over missing my family members who were safe and sound at home. I scolded myself for living in such a cocoon of happiness and love. But these reactions were just as wrong as the acts themselves. And so, as I sit, looking out my window at the rain and gloom that cast its shadow over all of Europe and the World, I feel that I must collect my scattered thoughts and feelings, reexamine my first reactions and make reason of it all. The world is a place of change, of opposites and of opportunity. We can choose to be happy in the face of sadness, we can choose to be strong when the easier choice is to be weak, and we can unite when others try to push us apart. Today we as individuals, we as nations and we as a global community have choices to make. Do we sit and look at the driving rain and gloom outside and feel sad, separated and scared? Or do we look at tomorrow's forecast and feel hopeful, united by love and brave in our connection?
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